• James Hancock, CEO of Global Payout, lauds the SecurCloud Platform offered by company’s SecurCapital subsidiary
• Rochfort announces SecurCapital’s participation in global fintech and blockchain conferences to demonstrate platform’s ranging capabilities
• Key to SecurCapital’s performance is its disruptive ‘banking in a box’ cloud-based finance solutions platform

Global Payout, Inc. (OTC: GOHE) has named Bill Rochfort as the new president and EVP sales at SecurCapital Corp., its newly-formed subsidiary (http://ibn.fm/5Xkv7). SecurCapital Corp. is a supply chain finance company offering both working capital and premier payment solutions for the logistics industry. Its SecurCloud Platform offers an integrated solution for global payments through a proprietary ecosystem controlled by the client. As a result, the client can then optimize management of cash flow through delivery of documentation of invoices, proof of delivery and payments to global vendors.

SecurCapital CEO Steve Russell, prior to joining SecurCapital, was group CEO for an amalgamated rollup of eight logistics companies focused on targeting and managing M&A, integrating acquisitions, rebranding and positioning for exit. For four years, he was president and CEO, Asia Pacific, of Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), launching its platform in 12 Asia-Pacific countries.

SecurCapital has plans to attend a global schedule of fintech and blockchain conferences in China, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. (http://ibn.fm/poKPk). Bill Rochfort champions the schedule as showing the global capability of the company’s web-enabled finance solutions platform. Rochfort is a 25-year veteran of the fintech industry in global banking, e-wallet platforms, freight payment and foreign exchange. He was an early utilizer of cloud technology. He previously served as an officer with companies such as Sprint, Intermedia and Premier Global Services.

In a news release, James Hancock, CEO of San Diego-based Global Payout, said, “We’re very excited to have Bill join our senior team of logisticians at SecurCapital at this pivotal time as the company launches its SecurCloud Platform (SCP)… Leveraging years of international finance experience, Bill will be instrumental in driving the SecurCapital value proposition to our customers.”

“Launching our platform throughout the world in Shanghai, London, San Francisco and Boston demonstrates our capability to offer our customer solutions on a global scale,” Rochfort said. He added that the upcoming events would bring together digital banking, blockchain, business lending, payments and insurance and smart contracts applications.

The company’s upcoming schedule includes: MIT FinTech on March 10-11 in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Lendit FinTech Conference on April 9-11 in San Francisco, California; the Global FinTech & Blockchain Conference on April 12-13 in Shanghai, China; and the London FinTech World Forum on May 30-31 in London, England.

GOHE is a leading provider of comprehensive and customized prepaid payment solutions, distributing money worldwide for domestic and international companies. GOHE will offer its fintech payment system to many vertical markets for support of digital currency and foreign currency exchange. SecurCapital is marketed as a fully configurable ‘banking in a box’ cloud-based platform.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GlobalPayout.com

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• Building the world’s largest pure-play cobalt exploration company with interests in historic Canadian Cobalt Camp
• Recently completed 3-way merger with Cobalt One Ltd. and CobalTech Mining Inc., which created a consolidated camp of more than 10,000 hectares containing 50 past cobalt/silver producers and working mines
• $100 million in existing infrastructure includes only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery material
• Lithium-ion battery market, buoyed by surge in electric vehicle market, expected to reach USD $68 billion by end of 2022
• $30 million in financing closed December 21, 2017

First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQB: FTSSF), with headquarters in Canada, is the largest land owner in the Cobalt Camp in Ontario with control of over 10,000 hectares (nearly 25,000 acres) of prospective land and 50 historic cobalt/silver mines. The company’s assets include a mill and the only permitted cobalt extraction refinery in North America capable of producing battery material, providing an integrated solution for cobalt projects. First Cobalt began drilling in the historic Cobalt Camp in 2017 and seeks to build shareholder value through new discovery and growth opportunities.

First Cobalt’s 2018 $C7 million drilling program, which includes testing different styles of mineralized areas throughout the Cobalt Camp in more than 10 past-producing mines known to contain cobalt, is a significant expansion over its 2017 exploration activities. The company received positive test drill results from the Bellellen mine location, with early results confirming the presence of high-grade cobalt and nickel, prompting First Cobalt to increase its drilling program at that site. A prospecting sampling program of existing muckpiles around the camp’s historic mines, trenches, pits and surrounding bedrock could provide an early production scenario.

First Cobalt Corp. is moving quickly to leverage its potential against an economic background that estimates global consumption for refined cobalt is set to grow at an average rate of approximately 5 percent per annum for the next 10 years. The electric vehicle market, in particular, is driving this sector since more than 50 percent of the world’s current production of cobalt is used in the manufacture of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The global lithium-ion battery market, as estimated by Zion Market Research, indicates the value at around USD $31 billion in 2016 and is expected to generate revenue of nearly USD $68 billion by end of 2022, growing at a compound annual growth rate of slightly above 17 percent.

First Cobalt is embracing innovation in the mining sector, utilizing a digital compilation of 100-plus years of mining and geological data spanning the historically prolific Cobalt Mining Camp’s lifespan. First Cobalt’s management team is also assessing the ability of artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery cycle. As a member of the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) and Metal Earth Project, First Cobalt conducts regional geophysical surveys for geological interpretation of structures controlling cobalt-silver mineralization.

The company’s clear pathway to production and cash flow generation includes being one of only four fully permitted cobalt extraction refineries in Canada with significant material and processing infrastructure on site. With the price of cobalt increasing significantly and its importance in the growing battery market underpinning a strong long-term demand forecast, First Cobalt Corp. and its mining interests are primed for success.

First Cobalt Corp. President and CEO Trent Mell, a mining executive and capital markets professional with extensive international transactional experience, is joined by a team of reputable and seasoned deal-makers, mine builders and mine operators with decades of global experience in exploration, business development, geoscience, engineering and finance.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.FirstCobalt.com

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• Two applications for Health Canada ACMPR license in detailed review stage; one in the detailed review stage and one application in readiness stage
• Canadian recreational market projected to surge to over $8 billion by 2021
• Two growing facilities undergoing state-of-the-art retrofit have potential to generate CDN$16 million in revenue, excluding cannabis oils
• Choom™ Retail Stores and Retail Store partner program to offer high-quality, premium branded retail cannabis dispensaries and the opportunity for individual investor store ownership across Canada

Choom Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: CHOOF) (CSE: CHOO) channels the laid-back spirit of Hawaii to the Okanagan region of British Columbia with a generous nod to the inspirational, yet unofficial, history of the 1970s “Choom Gang,” a group of buddies in Honolulu (including former President Barack Obama) who knew how to relax with “choom,” the local’s term for marijuana. Choom’s trademark slogans pivot off another unconventional phrase (“Say Hello to…”), bringing a heady dose of good times and good friends together as the company invites investors to “Say Hello to Choom™” as it lights up the adult recreational cannabis market in Canada.

Choom™ has been an ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) applicant since November 2013 in Vernon, B.C. The company’s first application has received security clearance and is now in the detailed review stage. They also recently announced their second late-stage ACMPR application, which is in its confirmation of readiness stage. Cannabis Compliance Inc. has been retained to help expedite Choom’s initial license applications to ensure the company’s readiness for legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada mid-summer 2018.

True to the company’s character, Choom™ is retrofitting two large facilities – No. 1 in Vernon, B.C., and No. 2 on Vancouver Island – to house its cannabis growing facilities. Phase 1 of the Vernon property will provide Choom™ with 6,800 square feet of growing space, capable of producing 660 kg/year of cannabis at an estimated revenue of $6.6 million, excluding oils. The company expects this facility to be completed by July 2018, the same month that Canada is expected to formally legalize recreational marijuana for adult use. A potential Phase 2, to be completed by the end of 2018, would add another 6,800 square feet for a total of 1,500 kg/year capacity, which would nearly double No. 1’s revenue. A Level 9 vault is also planned with a storage capacity of 15,000 kg. While the No. 2 facility on Vancouver Island is smaller – 4,500 square feet – its retrofit is also slated to be completed by July 2018. Plans include doubling this space as well, which would add about $9 million in annual revenue, excluding cannabis oils.

Choom™ announced its retail dispensary strategy with the intention of establishing market leadership in reaching the Canadian cannabis consumer. The partner program is already in the retail space design stage as the company seeks to build a chain of branded retail cannabis dispensaries in jurisdictions in Canada where recreational cannabis is legal. Choom™ Stores will have a cool, modern layout and design created to emit an authentic “Aloha” vibe. Choom™ is all about producing high-grade cultivars and curating them for a bigger audience.

A savvy, experienced management team includes Chris Bogart, president and CEO; John Oh, R.P.I.C., Operations Manager; Robert Bayrack, Master Grower, S.P.I.C.; and Adrian Robinson, Strategic Advisor. Bogart has over two decades of international experience in capital markets and was a co-founder of InMed Pharmaceuticals and Magnum Uranium. He has structured complex equity financing transactions in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Bogart is joined on the Board of Directors by Kevin Pull, Stephen Tong and John Oh.

While the medical marijuana industry is expected to double by 2021 to 500,000 registered users, the true highlight of the recreational cannabis represents the key cultural shift set to launch in Canada. With an estimated $4.9B to $8.7B retail market coming, now is the right time for a Recreation Brand like Choom™ to be involved in this growing industry. Establishing and maintaining Choom™ premium brand loyalty is a key factor in the company’s growth strategy. Get ready to “Say Hello” to opportunity, good times and good friends with Choom™.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Choom.ca

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• Vertically-integrated cannabis company with two late-stage ACMPR licenses in portfolio
• Strategic investments focus on proven, revenue-generating cannabis-related businesses
• Liberty Leaf is included in the Solactive Emerging Marijuana Growers Index

Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) is a publicly traded Canadian-based company with strategic investments in businesses that are established, revenue- producing players in the medicinal and recreational cannabis market. Liberty Leaf’s focus is to build and support a diversified portfolio of cannabis-sector businesses, including those involved in the cultivation and processing of legal medicinal and recreational cannabis, value-added CBD/THC pet products, and supply-chain products for this dynamic and fast-growing sector. Liberty Leaf provides funding, management, HR resources and marketing expertise to help companies thrive and accelerate growth.

Liberty Leaf’s leading investments to date include:

• North Road Ventures – An emerging end-to-end distributor of cultivated and manufactured cannabis products to licensed legal retailers. North Road has updated its application for an Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) license to be distribution/sales-focused, making the company unique in the crowded field of other cultivation-based applicants. This forward-thinking initiative will help fulfill the anticipated increase in Canada’s recreational cannabis space once legalization takes effect in mid-2018. The submission includes a boost in product-vault capacity that will result in a five-fold increase in products available for distribution. Cannabidiol (CBD)-oil products are expected to account for 50 percent or more of projected sales.
• Just Kush Enterprises – Liberty Leaf holds a 60 percent interest in Just Kush, a cultivator of premium, proprietary cannabis strains selected for different levels of CBDs and THCs. Just Kush’s cultivation facility is located near Oliver, British Columbia, and it currently controls a facility which holds a Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (MMAR) license. The company is also a late-stage applicant for an ACMPR license (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations), which will enable Just Kush to produce cannabis for the medicinal and recreational market.

Liberty Leaf is also an active partner with the following companies:

• ESEV R&D – A privately owned, medical marijuana research and development company based in New York with clinical laboratories located in Israel. ESEV R&D, in collaboration with a leading clinical research organization in Israel, has launched a one-of-a-kind service for North American medical cannabis companies to organize and oversee clinical trials seeking to demonstrate the efficacy of medical cannabis products for specific medical conditions. Liberty Leaf has a three-year collaborative agreement with ESEV. Under that agreement, ESEV is researching the efficacy of CBDs in pets, with the 1st formulation trial targeting canine osteoarthritis, a medical condition that includes: hip dysplasia; elbow dysplasia; and hind-knee, also known as stifle, degenerative joint disease (DJD).
• Blox Labs Inc. – A boutique technology company focused on creating best-in-class smartphone apps and software solutions driven by emerging trends in blockchain, smart contracts and decentralized application technologies. Liberty Leaf and Blox Labs are developing “cannaBLOX,” a blockchain-based smart contract supply chain management platform for the legalized cannabis industry.

The company’s management team is led by President and Director William Rascan who has 25-plus years in the investment brokerage industry, most recently as a partner, senior investment advisor with Northern Securities. Rascan’s business experience ranges from active international trading clients to raising capital for junior mining companies on the TSX Venture Exchange.

Rascan is joined by CFO Jamie Robinson, a chartered accountant who specializes in accounting, auditing, and financial reporting under both IFRS and ASPE. Prior to joining Liberty Leaf, Robinson worked at Deloitte as a manager focused on publicly listed and private company audits, business review, performance enhancement engagements and restructuring proceedings.

Steven Feldman, who has more than 25 years of experience in the capital markets and was part of the original management team of SouthGobi Resources; and Doug Macdonell, a retired RCMP officer and recognized expert in the field of cannabis and cultivation, serve as company directors. Dr. Robert Jackman, who has worked closely with multiple clients in the medical cannabis and Natural and Non-prescription Health Products (NNHP) industries in North America, was recently appointed as scientific project manager/fulfillment.

Liberty Leaf’s advisory board includes international lawyer, writer and speaker Robert W.E. Laurie; Barinder Rasode, who currently serves as CEO of the National Institute for Cannabis Health & Education (NICHE); and Dr. Mary C. Fitzpatrick, B.S., D.V.M., whose primary focus is on helping companion animals live pain free in their senior years.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LibLeaf.ca

• Industrial hemp is the only commodity that has the potential to generate revenue from multiple finished goods in the global food, construction materials, nutraceutical, textile and bio-energy industries
• Global Hemp Group completed hemp trials last year which set the stage for a full-fledged commercial hemp operation in New Brunswick, Canada, in 2018
• Under Canadian law, CBD will become legal to extract from Industrial Hemp in July 2018
• Hemp Business Journal estimates that the hemp industry will grow to $1.8 billion in sales by 2020, led by hemp food, body care, and CBD-based products
• Official data demonstrates that the hemp industry is growing rapidly, at a 22 percent five-year CAGR, and is being led by food and body care products, with hemp CBD products showing a 53 percent AGR

Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF) is just beginning to scratch the surface of what will over time become a robust market for the production of raw materials and a variety of wholesale products and consumer goods developed from the non-psychoactive industrial varieties of the species Cannabis sativa L.

Global Hemp Group intends to establish and develop a portfolio of companies interlinked in the production of hemp, from its initial cultivation to wholesale materials delivered to product developers and distributors.

Through joint ventures and acquisitions, GHG is focused on cannabinoid production, with medium-term plans to operate in the automotive, building materials, bio-composites, food, nutritional supplements and nutraceuticals markets. The company is guided by the overarching theme of ‘global environmental stewardship’. Global Hemp Group intends to apply key concepts of sustainability and social responsibility in all of the markets that it enters.

With a successful hemp cultivation trial last year, GHG and joint venture partner Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC: MCOA) have set the stage for development of the first commercial hemp operation on the Acadian peninsula of New Brunswick, Canada, in over 20 years.

Cannabinoids

With the expected legalization of recreational cannabis and the extraction of cannabinoids from industrial hemp in mid to late 2018, the partnership expects to begin cannabinoid extraction from a minimum of 125 acres of hemp grown this year in New Brunswick, Canada. The company is also discussing partnerships for straw processing to create building materials following the October harvest this year, with a medium- to long-term plan of building permanent processing facilities by the fall of 2019.

GHG is also pursuing hemp cultivation and extraction opportunities in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, with the goal of operating in both the Canadian and United States hemp markets.

Industrial Solutions

GHG seeks to establish an operating strategy it refers to as the Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone (“HAIZ”) (http://ibn.fm/6CMqs), which will be focused on building a platform of cooperation between farmers, labor, technology and capital across all industrial hemp sectors to create collective value for shareholders. All parts of the plant are to be utilized with the HAIZ concept, including the production of CBD and other cannabinoid-based wholesale products from the flowers and leaves, cottonized fibers from the straw, building materials from the hurd (woody core) and oils and cakes from the grain.

Construction

A number of companies have begun producing hempcrete blocks that deliver a durable product that retains thermal mass and has a low carbon footprint when it comes to energy usage (http://ibn.fm/6IVOP). They could also potentially reduce building material costs by 50 percent or more when cultivated, processed and constructed on site. Hempcrete has thermal qualities that preserve optimal indoor temperatures year-round in a wide variety of regions and climates. In addition, it is mold free, pest free and fireproof.

• A Washington state company is retrofitting homes with hemp;
• A Colorado company completed the state’s first permitted “hempcrete” structure in October (http://ibn.fm/HQEg4);
• This Asheville, North Carolina, hemp home is one of four hemp homes constructed in the state (http://ibn.fm/3EJOf);
• Israel’s first hemp house was built last March on Mount Carmel;
• Canada’s JustBioFiber constructed a house on Vancouver Island using an interlocking Lego-like hemp block, and there are hundreds of hempcrete buildings across Canada;
• In Britain, five hempcrete homes were built in 2017 alone;
• France has been constructing buildings with hemp for decades;
• South Africa has promoted this hemp home as Africa’s most sustainable building (http://ibn.fm/UdpX7).

Bio-Composites

There are more than 10 million cars on the road that use hemp bio-composites for door panels, dashboards, consoles, carpeting and even brake pads. Mercedes, BMW and Lotus have been using hemp in their vehicle construction for many years (http://ibn.fm/f0CZS). Auto manufacturers find that hemp auto parts lower vehicle weight and therefore improve gas mileage. Glass fiber used to make the body of a Chevrolet Corvette could easily be replaced with hemp fiber and be stronger and more resilient. Henry Ford knew in the 1940s that natural bio-composites could replace heavier metals used in auto manufacturing (http://ibn.fm/LhUag) and be lighter and stronger than traditional materials.

In Conclusion

It has been proven that hemp can be a sustainable alternative for many traditional materials used throughout history.

Hemp is the only plant on Earth that can feed, clothe, house, fuel and medicate humanity. Hemp is potentially the most industrially usable biomass produced over the shortest growth cycle, utilizing the least amount of water, nutrients and pesticides, while sequestering the greatest level of carbon. It is one of the few plants on the planet that can be grown commercially almost anywhere in the world.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GlobalHempGroup.com

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• LXRP has global patents or patents-pending in more than 40 countries, including the U.S., Australia, China, the European Union and Canada
• Company is working through a C$250,000 budget for an 18-month collaborative research agreement with the National Research Council
• Licensing is a revenue generator, with LXRP offering to license its disruptive DehydraTECH™ technology in countries where it is patented or patent-pending

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) is generating revenue and knowledge through both licensing of its IP portfolio and advancement of R&D projects. It already has patents and multiple patents-pending in more than 40 countries. It has received patent approvals in the U.S. and Australia for its DehydraTECH™ delivery technology (http://ibn.fm/6nDPP). Some patent applications have already reached the active patent investigation phase in China, the European Union and Canada.

LXRP is a technology disruptor for delivery of edible forms of cannabinoids. This Kelowna, British Columbia-based food bioscience company has developed a high absorption hemp oil formula, protein energy bars, exotic teas and coffee, beer and soft drinks, and capsules and mouth-melts. All of these products share qualities of high absorption and radically improved taste, as compared to other cannabis-related food products.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has secured $1.4 million in funding for Canadian cannabis research projects (http://ibn.fm/v8wNY). That will fund research ranging from the potential impacts of cannabis on driving, pregnancy, childhood health, youth mental health, indigenous populations and workplace health and safety (http://ibn.fm/iHOo1).

LXRP itself has signed a C$250,000 collaborative research agreement with the National Research Council (“NRC”) for an 18-month period to investigate opportunities and determine the best methods for processing lipophilic active agents within foods.

Licensing its intellectual property portfolio is a core revenue generation strategy for LXRP (http://ibn.fm/kik2R). For example, the company’s disruptive new DehydraTECH technology is available to be licensed in areas including processed foods, supplements, vitamins, drugs and cannabinoids. To prospective licensees, LXRP can eventually transition to a definitive fee for a structure agreement between itself and a new licensee.

The company makes its technology available on either a semi-exclusive or exclusive access basis that defines licensing by geographic region(s), for a set period of time and limited to specific product categories. LXRP has suggested that it will license DehydraTECH in any of the more than 40 countries globally where it is patented or patent-pending.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LexariaEnergy.com

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• Cobalt demand set to increase substantially with the growth of electric vehicle use worldwide
• First Cobalt is focused on developing safer, more ethical mining resources in Canada
• Early results in 2018 exploration program produce positive results

Cobalt is a key component in lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles (EVs) and has experienced a surge in demand on the back of recent developments in the automotive industry. China, with the largest automotive industry in the world, announced last year that it will require one in five new vehicles sold by 2025 to be powered by alternative sources other than fossil fuels. In July 2017, France and Britain followed suit by stating their intention to ban the sale of cars operating on fossil fuels by 2040. First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQB: FTSSF) is well positioned to capitalize on the increasing cobalt demand by developing its mining interests in Ontario, Canada.

Much of the world’s cobalt sourcing currently faces real challenges, since it depends largely on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where child labor is common. First Cobalt offers a huge ethical advantage by developing cobalt sources in Canada, in addition to the potential of greatly helping to revitalize the nearby Canadian community of Cobalt, Ontario. The DRC has also experienced political unrest and instability for many years, and this climate is not conducive to investment. This is another reason that First Cobalt has made the strategic decision to focus its efforts on developing its Canadian mineral rights around the Cobalt Camp in Ontario.

Following the completion of a three-way merger in 2017, First Cobalt now has control over 10,000 hectares of land for prospecting. This area features more than 50 historic mines, including Bellellen, Keeley, Frontier, Drummond and Silver Banner. The company intends to explore these mines, which, based on historic analysis, have the potential to yield high-quality cobalt. First Cobalt also owns the only permitted cobalt extraction refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials.

On January 16, 2018, the company announced a $7 million exploration program for its Cobalt Camp properties in 2018. This will involve 26,500 meters of drilling to test different geological settings at 13 targets within the region. 2017 drill programs revealed that cobalt occurs as different styles of mineralization in the Cobalt Camp, largely due to different geographical settings. First Cobalt’s drilling program will test several prospective areas to determine near-surface mineralization potential.

The company’s early exploration and development efforts have produced positive results. On January 30, 2018, First Cobalt announced the completion of the first phase of its sampling program at its historic mining operations in the Cobalt Camp. More than 400 samples were collected from 14 muckpiles in both Cobalt North and Cobalt South. The company is currently evaluating the potential to generate early cash flow from processing these historic resources.

On February 5, 2018, First Cobalt announced positive drill results from the historic Keeley mine, intersecting over 30 meters of disseminated cobalt mineralization. These included evidence of anomalous cobalt grading 0.043 percent cobalt starting 15 meters from the surface. Results also include 15.7 meters of 0.12 percent cobalt, including 6.2 meters at 0.21 percent cobalt, which reflect similar mineralization in surface grab samples. These results provide evidence of a broad zone of mineralization extending over a strike length of 350 meters outside of the historically mined veins. These broad zones, while lower in grade, are targeted for their potential as large-scale, bulk tonnage future operations.

These early positive results augur well for the outcome of the company’s drilling program. With experienced teams and seasoned management at the helm, First Cobalt is well positioned to capitalize on its exploration program and develop its mineral interest to meet the rising global demand for cobalt.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.FirstCobalt.com

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• Company’s revenues have grown 600 percent during past year
• Growing AI, big data industries anticipate enormous increases in less than a decade
• Company turns ‘machine learning’ into beneficial interface with people

More than two years have passed since IBM acquired The Weather Company, the pioneering forecasting and technology company that launched a nationwide TV weather network and established data sets used by millions of people to make decisions about what they are going to do on a given day. When the company was formed in 1982 as The Weather Channel, it likely couldn’t forecast its own future — that one day it would be a staple in the tech giant’s Data and Analytics Platform business unit. But as artificial intelligence breakthroughs make the science of predicting the future more reality than fiction, companies like AnalytixInsight, Inc. (TSX.V: ALY) (OTCQB: ATIXF) are bending that science to the wills of millions of market investors who hope for a heads up on corporate activities such as dividend cuts, as well as the stock swings that may accompany news of earnings reports, consumer trends and political machinations.

During the decades before AnalytixInsight was incorporated, artificial intelligence was the stuff of science fiction, portrayed as the ascendancy of machines to a position of power over humanity. While AI does empower robotics platforms to perform some actions independently, the modern reality of artificial intelligence is that humans supply computers with data and then computers reciprocate by supplying humans with extrapolated knowledge people can use to inform their choices. As with commuters who decide what to wear or where to travel or how to prepare their homes based on predictive weather models, AnalytixInsight’s AI platform, named CapitalCube, helps people improve their decision-making on whether to buy or sell, when to do it and for how much.

CapitalCube is a ‘machine learning’ product that analyzes huge volumes of data and turns numbers into actions with its hyper-personalized services. The product’s predictive analytics and peer analysis features accompany 3,000 reports a day on some 50,000 companies’ dividend strength and accounting reports, among other things. CapitalCube also links to another AnalytixInsight subsidiary — Marketwall — that creates software for mobile devices, allowing users to receive the power of the platforms’ peer analyses wherever they may be. The Toronto, Canada-based company expects to employ blockchain technology to provide security in any financial transactions that may take place through the platforms. Another subsidiary, Euclides Technologies, helps companies search and evaluate inefficient operations within their own walls and attempt solutions to employee performance and other quality control concerns.

A recent content agreement with the Thomson Reuters news agency is likely to boost AnalytixInsight’s brand. Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of news and information for professional markets. AnalytixInsight has added Thomson Reuters as a content distribution partner, which paves the way for CapitalCube’s analysis reports to be available on Thompson Reuters terminals to brokers across North America.

In its latest update on human-technology interaction, market intelligence company Tractica issued a forecast that annual worldwide AI revenue will grow from $3.2 billion in 2016 to $89.8 billion by 2025 (http://ibn.fm/yy6Ga), marking an increase of nearly 3,000 percent in less than a decade. Analysis portal Statista.com estimates that the larger-scale revenues of the global big data industries amount to just under $34 billion now (http://ibn.fm/Wt2vz), with the capacity to grow to nearly $80 billion over the next five years. SNS Research believes that global big data revenues now lie at over $57 billion (http://ibn.fm/IFwnH), with a forecast CAGR of about 10 percent during the next three years amounting to about $76 billion by the end of 2020. Despite the disparities in revenue modeling, the researchers all agree that AI and the larger big data industries are growing and profitable.

AnalytixInsight’s last quarterly report showed record revenues of $1.7 million, a 600 percent increase over the same period in the previous year.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AnalytixInsight.com

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• The tide of cannabis legalization continues to rise
• Medical cannabis market on pace to hit $56 billion in seven years
• Company’s proprietary technology improves the bioavailability of cannabinoids

With the passage of laws permitting medicinal use of cannabis in at least 32 U.S. jurisdictions and Canada, producers of cannabinoids for medical purposes are racing to improve delivery methods for their formulations. Cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), are hydrophobic (literally, afraid of water). In practice, this means they do not dissolve or emulsify readily in water, which may seem to pose a problem, since, by composition, the human body is more than half water. Yet, paradoxically, for a drug to be readily absorbed, it must be largely hydrophobic, yet not completely so. It must, to some extent, dissolve in water. As a result, new, patented technology from Pressure BioSciences Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) may provide the ideal transport for CBD and other cannabinoids. PBIO’s Ultra Shear Technology (“UST”) has the capacity to develop water-soluble nanoemulsions that can be employed to improve the bioavailability of cannabinoids.

Emulsions are mixtures of two or more liquids (e.g., oils in water) that cannot be blended into each other without the addition of chemicals called emulsifiers (e.g., surfactants). Emulsions are used in multiple everyday products, including food, medical products, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, industrial lubricants, and even cannabis oil extracts (e.g., CBD). Nanoemulsions have been shown to have improved absorption while providing higher bioavailability, greater stability and other advantages, when compared to the standard, much larger macro- and micro-emulsions.

Nanoemulsions offer an advanced mode of drug delivery that’s expected to improve the bioavailability of a wide range of active agents. These nano-sized emulsions, in which two immiscible liquids are usually combined to form a single phase by means of an emulsifying agent that combines surfactant and co-surfactant, typically have droplet sizes that fall in the 20–200 nanometer range. It would take 10 million nanometers to cover a length of one centimeter (about 0.4 inches).

Interestingly, PBIO believes that its patented UST may be able to make commercial-scale nanoemulsions that would require far less emulsifying agents than current methods, perhaps even none. Emulsifying agents are chemicals; some are natural, some are not. With consumer demands for non-additive natural products, the availability of nanoemulsions that require little or no chemical emulsifiers should be well received by consumers and manufactures alike, and rewarded by shareholders.

Late last year, PBIO announced a partnership with Phasex Corporation. The aim of the collaboration is to combine PBIO’s patented UST and Phasex’s supercritical fluid (“SCF”)-based processing methods to enable the development of stable, water-soluble nanoemulsions of nutraceuticals, including CBD-enriched plant oil. Phasex is a pioneer in the development of SCF-based toll processors, which are used for extracting, purifying, recrystallizing and fractionating a wide range of polymers, natural extracts and other chemicals.

Complementing Phasex’s SCF extraction technology with PBIO’s UST makes a great deal of commercial sense. Currently, there is a market for new methods of turning hydrophobic extracts into stable, water-soluble formulations. UST offers the potential to solve that problem by producing stable nanoemulsions of oil-like products in water. The range of commercial applications is extensive and includes inks, industrial lubricants, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, as well as medically important plant oil extracts such as CBD. UST utilizes ultra-high pressure-driven fluid dynamic shear forces, combined with controlled temperatures, to engender homogenization.

Data from scientific studies indicate that nanoemulsions of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals may exhibit improved absorption, higher bioavailability, greater stability and lower levels of stabilizing additives (surfactants) when compared to the larger droplet sizes resulting from current emulsion processes. Because of these significant advantages, nanoemulsions are currently the focus of many research efforts worldwide. In this field, the PBIO-Phasex joint venture is poised to break new ground. Combining Phasex’s SCF extraction methodology with PBIO’s disruptive drug delivery technology may signal the genesis of an entirely new paradigm in therapeutic treatments.

The global medical marijuana market is set to reach a value of $55.8 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. As it expands, the demand for enabling medical technologies, such as UST, is set to rise. PBIO, it seems, is about to thrive in the brave new world of cannabis liberalization.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PressureBioSciences.com

• Proposed legislation would be more moderate than a current legalization initiative but allow more concessions than a more conservative bill submitted this season
• Jeremy Roberts is confident the yet undrafted bill will be ready for consistent debate before the end of the current legislative session on March 8
• Cannabis is illegal in Utah, with only one exception: non-psychoactive medical CBD oil extract is allowed for patients suffering from severe epilepsy

A medical cannabis bill that would advocate a more moderate approach and would “bridge the gap” between two very different legalization initiatives currently underway, has every chance to be successful, according to Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) CEO Jeremy Roberts, quoted by the Deseret News (http://ibn.fm/ujXBR). Roberts, who is also a member of the Utah Republican Party, discussed the matter with Rep. Lee Perry, who is planning on coming up with a “workable medical marijuana program in the state.” While the bill has not yet been formally drafted, with Perry still gathering input on language and contents, Roberts is confident that the initiative will be ready in time to be debated before the end of the legislative session on March 8.

Leveraging his experience as CEO of a merchant processing pioneer in the medical cannabis industry, Roberts said he met with several interested lawmakers in recent months to discuss what would be a “reasonable program” with appropriate controls in place to allow patients access to marijuana-based medication they need. Talks even focused on aspects of current marijuana legislation in other states, to determine which policies would make the most sense for Utah.

Cannabis is illegal in Utah, with the exception of a non-psychoactive medical CBD oil extract for patients with severe epilepsy. Advocates of medical marijuana legalization for people with serious medical conditions are rallying for a state-wide ballot sometime this year, an initiative that enjoys overwhelming support. About 76 percent of Utah voters are in favor of the initiative, according to a January survey by The Salt Lake Tribune and the Hinkley Institute of Politics with the University of Utah (http://ibn.fm/BTp4i). Opponents of the initiative, including Perry and Roberts, say the ballot goes further than most people realize and would basically provide backdoor access to the equivalent of a recreational program.

On the other side, Rep. Brad Daw has introduced a package of bills on medical marijuana which would allow terminally ill patients to try the substance and would have the state grow its own plant. Roberts believes the legislation proposed by Daw this session is too conservative, and not too different from the “ultra-conservative” initiatives that the legislature has come up with up to this point.

Lawmakers know that they need to pass a medical marijuana bill but “they haven’t been given a good option” so far, Roberts said. The Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions CEO is confident that what Perry will come up with be viewed as a better and more moderate option which the caucuses are going to love. The bill will most likely start by allowing unrestricted access to CBD oil to all patients who need it, and broad access to marijuana for terminally ill patients. Gradually, the bill will allow for higher ratios of THC to CBD for certain categories of patients, but it will most likely not allow access to the whole plant at any point, Roberts explained.

In a separate interview with Jane King of SCN Corporate Connect (http://ibn.fm/7cJh8), Roberts talked about his company’s commitment to regulatory compliance, as opposed to other companies in the industry which would rather “walk away” than put in the work to meet the federal government’s very strict guidelines and regulations. He said that part of his activity in Washington DC includes working with the authorities to show that “people actually can and are willing to comply with the regulations they put forth.”

Roberts also briefly discussed his company’s fully secure, state-of-the-art services to the medical marijuana sector, in particular its ability to track sales and tax collection from the moment when a buyer enters the vendors’ establishment, the purchases made, all the way through the payment of taxes. This functionality “hasn’t existed up until we’ve come to the marketplace, and we can actually show the provenance of funds in that market,” he said.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions brought to the market the first and only comprehensive card processing service. Via Green, a proprietary payment system that was launched earlier in January 2018, the company aims to offer a “cure for the banking nightmare cannabis establishments face,” according to Roberts. The platform has full merchant account functionality that allows for repeat billing, online sales, client management and 100 percent secure electronic payments. The system is also fully compliant with Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) regulations and parameters for financial institutions serving the medical cannabis sector.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.REFG.co

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